A test apparatus 1 having a plurality of stages 4, for example, as shown FIG. 12, has a loader chamber 3 provided with a carrying mechanism 2 for carrying semiconductor wafers, a plurality of stages (e.g., 4 stages) on which the semiconductor wafers carried via carrying mechanism 2 are disposed, and a prober chamber 5 provided with a plurality of probe cards (not shown) each disposed over each stage 4. The semiconductor wafers are tested by electrically contacting a plurality of probes of the probe cards with electrode pads of the semiconductor wafers on the plurality of stages 4 in prober chamber 5.
In loader chamber 3, load ports 6, in which carriers are disposed, are disposed at left and right sides while being separated from each other. Semiconductor wafers are carried by carrying mechanism 2 between the carriers in each load port 6 and the plurality of stages 4. Also, monitors (not shown) are provided at loader chamber 3 and probe chamber 5 for monitoring each chamber and for operating devices in each chamber. The test apparatus is operated and managed by operation screens displayed on display screens of the monitors. The operation screens on the monitors are configured to be changed step by step from super-ordinate operation screens to sub-ordinate operation screens by operation buttons displayed therein. Also, various devices provided in loader chamber 3 and prober chamber 5 are operated by pressing the operation buttons displayed on each operation screen so as to carry out the function assigned to each operation button.
Test apparatuses 1 are thus disposed together in a testing region of a clean room in a matrix form, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, and there is only a small gap between the test apparatuses arranged in a transverse direction. Also, in FIG. 12, the reference numeral P designates pillars of the clean room.
At a side of loader chamber 3 of test apparatus 1, desired numbers of monitors are disposed for conducting operations for testing from beginning to end. At a side of prober chamber 5 of test apparatus 1, desired numbers of monitors are disposed for conducting operations for maintenance or change of probe cards in prober chamber 5. The monitors provided in loader chamber 3 and prober chamber 5 that faces test apparatus 1 are used separately from each other.
However, because the number of operable monitors is restricted to only one, even though there are multiple monitors, other monitors except the one in operation could not be used. For example, when an operator stops testing and conducts operations such as, for example, changing probe cards or maintenance of stages (hereinafter, represented by the term “maintenance”) by using the monitor at the side of prober chamber 5 for a long time, the other monitors could not be operated and the entire test apparatus may be halted. Thus, the operator may not be able to instruct a testing from the monitor of loader chamber 3 to the other stages of prober chamber 5 not being in operation of maintenance. Therefore, there is a problem that the operation efficiency is decreased.